Chapter 1809 - 1811: Establishing the Academy
In the past two months, Li Chuntao hasn’t returned to Yang Family Village, but the academy must continue.
We’ve enrolled some new students from outside villages, and one of the teachers moved here with his wife. They watch over the courtyard at night. During the day, the teacher’s wife takes over Alu and Xiaocui’s tasks, tidying up the house, cooking, and such, and of course, she receives a salary.
All of this was arranged with the help of Chuntao’s third brother!
However, as the number of students increases, it seems the courtyard won’t be able to accommodate them.
Xiaoxiao continued, "Chuntao, have you considered building a larger, dedicated place for teaching?"
Actually, Li Chuntao is well aware of what Xiaoxiao is talking about; she is very concerned about the academy. Every time her third brother visits, she asks about it. She also knows about the space issue, and when planning initially, she and Xiaoxiao had already discussed expanding the academy in the future.
"Hmm, I want to look for the Village Chief in spring to buy a plot of land and specially build one. I won’t enroll new students this year; I’ll wait until the academy is built, then enroll them in the fall. Students have only studied for a few months so far, and there’s no way to take exams yet — they’ve learned too little. By next spring, they’ll be able to take exams, and by that time, we might get a few scholars. Maybe people from the town will be willing to send their children here..."
Once the topic of the academy came up, there was much to discuss. Li Chuntao and Xiaoxiao conducted a thorough study all the way to the doorstep. As they parted, Xiaoxiao still asked when she might come; Li Chuntao just said she’d see how things go without providing a precise answer. Xiaoxiao couldn’t do much more and had helped as much as she could.
After seeing Li Chuntao off, Yang Ming and Xiaoxiao went back to get the Yang Family members.
Upon returning, Xiaoxiao mentioned to Yang Ming that Li Chuntao might be regaining her memory.
Yang Dong was very excited upon hearing this, "Really?"
"Hmm, I think it’s getting close. If necessary, we can recreate past scenes — redoing things you have done together to stimulate her memory. It might help her remember."
Xiaoxiao didn’t mention this to Li Chuntao but discussed it with Yang Dong. If Li Chuntao was prepared, it might not be effective, so it’s best for Yang Dong to do it.
"Thanks, sister-in-law. I know what to do now."
Realizing that Li Chuntao might regain her memory, Yang Dong felt empowered. He worked hard and, although he wasn’t sure when he’d see Li Chuntao next, he couldn’t just wait around. He wanted to quickly establish his general store.
After returning, Yang Dong soon hit the road, going out with his eldest brother to seek new things outside, and the family didn’t stop him, knowing he was busy with his endeavors and also understanding why he was so driven.
This journey lasted about a month. During this month, Li Chuntao visited for the academy’s expansion and sought out the Village Chief. Now, Yang Family Village didn’t have a large enough residential base, so they decided to build the academy on the cornfield bought by the Li Family earlier, specifically selecting a spot closer to Yang Family Village.
Xiaoxiao frequently whispered in Li Chuntao’s ear, praising Yang Dong’s progress — how he went out to procure goods and that the general store was opening soon.
Li Chuntao just listened without commenting much, as the matter couldn’t be rushed. After discussing with Xiaoxiao how the academy should ultimately be built, they hired people and began constructing the academy.